U.S. patent application number 16/486130 was filed with the patent office on 2021-10-28 for travel distance indication device and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is LG ELECTRONICS INC.. Invention is credited to Younki KU, Jaeyong LEE.
Application Number | 20210334398 16/486130 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005754116 |
Filed Date | 2021-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210334398 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LEE; Jaeyong ; et
al. |
October 28, 2021 |
TRAVEL DISTANCE INDICATION DEVICE AND METHOD
Abstract
Provided is a travel distance indication device including a
controller, wherein the controller includes: storage including a
first memory for storing a cumulative travel distance and a second
memory for storing a cumulative travel distance encoded value; a
processing unit including a trusted processor for verifying whether
the cumulative travel distance is valid, based on the cumulative
travel distance encoded value; a display for displaying the
cumulative travel distance when the cumulative travel distance is
valid, wherein the storage and the display are accessible only by
the trusted processor.
Inventors: |
LEE; Jaeyong; (Seoul,
KR) ; KU; Younki; (Seoul, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LG ELECTRONICS INC. |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
1000005754116 |
Appl. No.: |
16/486130 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2019 |
PCT Filed: |
April 17, 2019 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR2019/004639 |
371 Date: |
August 14, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62831728 |
Apr 10, 2019 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/147 20130101;
G06F 21/6218 20130101; G07C 5/06 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 21/62 20060101
G06F021/62; G06F 3/147 20060101 G06F003/147; G07C 5/06 20060101
G07C005/06 |
Claims
1. A travel distance indication device including a controller,
wherein the controller includes: a storage including a first memory
for storing a cumulative travel distance and a second memory for
storing a cumulative travel distance encoded value; a processing
unit including a trusted processor for verifying whether the
cumulative travel distance is valid, based on the cumulative travel
distance encoded value; and a display for displaying the cumulative
travel distance when the cumulative travel distance is valid,
wherein the storage and the display are accessible only by the
trusted processor.
2. The travel distance indication device of claim 1, wherein the
first memory is a non-volatile memory, and the second memory is a
memory in which data is not modified.
3. The travel distance indication device of claim 2, wherein the
cumulative travel distance encoded value is a total amount of data
input to the second memory and is different from the cumulative
travel distance, wherein the trusted processor further inputs data
into the second memory every time a vehicle moves by a
predetermined travel distance.
4. The travel distance indication device of claim 3, wherein
verifying whether the cumulative travel distance is valid includes:
dividing the cumulative travel distance by the predetermined travel
distance to obtain a dividing result; and comparing the dividing
result with the cumulative travel distance encoded value.
5. The travel distance indication device of claim 1, wherein the
storage further comprises a third memory as a volatile memory,
wherein the third memory is accessible only by the trusted
processor, wherein the third memory is used to add an measured
value from a travel distance measurement sensor to the cumulative
travel distance.
6. The travel distance indication device of claim 5, wherein the
measured value from the travel distance measurement sensor is
encrypted and transmitted to the trusted processor.
7. The travel distance indication device of claim 1, wherein the
display includes a display control unit and a display unit, wherein
the display control unit is accessible only by the trusted
processor, wherein the display unit displays the cumulative travel
distance under control of the display control unit.
8. The travel distance indication device of claim 1, wherein the
processing unit further includes a general processor, wherein the
general processor and the trusted processor are separate from each
other, wherein the general processor performs an operation other
than a travel distance related operation.
9. The travel distance indication device of claim 1, wherein the
trusted processor controls the display to display an error when the
cumulative travel distance is invalid.
10. A travel distance indication method comprising: reading out a
cumulative travel distance from a first memory; reading out a
cumulative travel distance encoded value from a second memory;
verifying, by a trusted processor, using the cumulative travel
distance encoded value, whether the cumulative travel distance is
valid; and displaying the cumulative travel distance on a display
when the cumulative travel distance is valid, wherein the first
memory is a non-volatile memory, and the second memory is a
non-modifiable memory.
11. The travel distance indication method of claim 10, wherein the
cumulative travel distance encoded value is a total amount of data
input to the second memory and is different from the cumulative
travel distance, wherein the method further comprises inputting
data into the second memory every time a vehicle moves by a
predetermined travel distance.
12. The travel distance indication method of claim 11, wherein
verifying whether the cumulative travel distance is valid: dividing
the cumulative travel distance by the predetermined travel distance
to obtain a dividing result; and comparing the dividing result with
the cumulative travel distance encoded value.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle travel distance
indication device and method, and, more particularly, to a vehicle
travel distance indication device and method for preventing forgery
or tampering of an accumulated travel distance, in which a travel
distance-related operation is executed only by a trusted processor,
and multiple security-specific memories are used.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In a vehicle, a cluster device is a vehicle instrument panel
that displays the accumulated travel distance of the vehicle, a
speedometer, a coolant thermometer, and an engine revolving meter.
An analog cluster device displays a numerical value for each item
using a needle and scale. A digital cluster device displays the
numerical value for each item electronically.
[0003] Conventionally, there have been many attempts to protect a
travel distance measurement sensor in order to prevent tampering of
the cumulative travel distance. However, there is insufficient
protection against the cumulative travel distance tampering using
software manipulation in the cluster device. It is easier to tamper
the travel distance indication in the cluster device than to tamper
the travel distance measurement sensor. Therefore, devices and
methods are needed to prevent falsification or tampering of the
travel distance indication.
DISCLOSURE
Technical Purposes
[0004] A purpose of the present disclosure is to solve the
above-mentioned problems and other problems. A purpose of the
present disclosure is to provide a device and method for protecting
a cumulative travel distance indication device of a vehicle.
Technical Solutions
[0005] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a
travel distance indication device including a controller, wherein
the controller includes: a storage including a first memory for
storing a cumulative travel distance and a second memory for
storing a cumulative travel distance encoded value; a processing
unit including a trusted processor for verifying whether the
cumulative travel distance is valid, based on the cumulative travel
distance encoded value; and a display for displaying the cumulative
travel distance when the cumulative travel distance is valid,
wherein the storage and the display are accessible only by the
trusted processor.
[0006] In one implementation of the travel distance indication
device, the first memory is a non-volatile memory, and the second
memory is a memory in which data is not modified.
[0007] In one implementation of the travel distance indication
device, the cumulative travel distance encoded value is a total
amount of data input to the second memory and is different from the
cumulative travel distance, wherein the trusted processor further
inputs data into the second memory every time a vehicle moves by a
predetermined travel distance.
[0008] In one implementation of the travel distance indication
device, verifying whether the cumulative travel distance is valid
includes: dividing the cumulative travel distance by the
predetermined travel distance to obtain a dividing result; and
comparing the dividing result with the cumulative travel distance
encoded value.
[0009] In one implementation of the travel distance indication
device, the storage further comprises a third memory as a volatile
memory, wherein the third memory is accessible only by the trusted
processor, wherein the third memory is used to add an measured
value from a travel distance measurement sensor to the cumulative
travel distance.
[0010] In one implementation of the travel distance indication
device, the measured value from the travel distance measurement
sensor is encrypted and transmitted to the trusted processor.
[0011] In one implementation of the travel distance indication
device, the display includes a display control unit and a display
unit, wherein the display control unit is accessible only by the
trusted processor, wherein the display unit displays the cumulative
travel distance under control of the display control unit.
[0012] In one implementation of the travel distance indication
device, the processing unit further includes a general processor,
wherein the general processor and the trusted processor are
separate from each other, wherein the general processor performs an
operation other than a travel distance related operation.
[0013] In one implementation of the travel distance indication
device, the trusted processor controls the display to display an
error when the cumulative travel distance is invalid.
Technical Effect
[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the
cumulative travel distance indication device of the vehicle is
protected so that the cumulative travel distance of the vehicle
cannot be forged or tampered.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a travel distance indication device including a
general processor and a trusted processor according to one
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 2 shows components of a travel distance indication
device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a travel distance indication
method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS
[0018] Examples of various embodiments are illustrated and
described further below. The same reference numbers in different
figures denote the same or similar elements, and as such perform
similar functionality. Further, descriptions and details of
well-known steps and elements are omitted for simplicity of the
description. Suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in
the following description are to be given or mixed with other only
in consideration of ease of drafting of the present disclosure, and
may have the same meaning or role by itself. Furthermore, in the
following detailed description of the present disclosure, numerous
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be
understood that the present disclosure may be practiced without
these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods,
procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in
detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present
disclosure. Further, the accompanying drawings are included to
provide easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein. The
technical idea or scope as disclosed in the present specification
is not limited to the attached drawings. It will be understood that
the description herein is not intended to limit the claims to the
specific embodiments described. On the contrary, it is intended to
cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be
included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as
defined by the appended claims.
[0019] It will be understood that, although the terms "first",
"second", "third", and so on may be used herein to describe various
elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these
elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be
limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one
element, component, region, layer or section from another element,
component, region, layer or section.
[0020] It will be understood that when an element or layer is
referred to as being "connected to", or "coupled to" another
element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled
to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements
or layers may be present. In addition, it will also be understood
that when an element or layer is referred to as being "between" two
elements or layers, it can be the only element or layer between the
two elements or layers, or one or more intervening elements or
layers may also be present.
[0021] As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "an" are intended
to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise.
[0022] It will be further understood that the terms "comprises",
"comprising", "includes", and "including" when used in this
specification, specify the presence of the stated features,
integers, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not
preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,
integers, operations, elements, components, and/or portions
thereof.
[0023] Herein, the travel distance indication device is the same as
the digital cluster. Thus, only the travel distance indication
related function thereof will be described.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a travel distance indication device including a
general processor and a trusted processor according to one
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0025] In addition to the travel distance, the digital cluster
device may calculate and display various values about a
speedometer, a coolant thermometer, ab engine revolving meter, and
so on. Therefore, the general processor 120 processes data items
other than the travel distance. However, the trusted processor 110
processes the travel distance to prevent forgery or tampering
thereof.
[0026] The trusted processor 110 reads a cumulative travel distance
related data from a storage 130 and displays the data on a trusted
interface 145 of a display 140. The general processor 120 cannot be
connected to the storage 140 and the display 140. Only the trusted
processor 120 may be connected thereto.
[0027] The trusted processor 110 and the general processor 120 are
separate processors and operate on separate operating systems. The
trusted processor 110 may have a program code and data embedded
therein and thus cannot be accessed from an outside. Therefore, it
is impossible for the general processor 120 to access the trusted
processor 110.
[0028] Considering a case of replacing an entirety of a digital
cluster or travel distance indication device, the present approach
may check the forgery or tampering by comparing a cumulative travel
distance recorded in a manufacturer 150 or external storage with a
cumulative travel distance recorded in the digital cluster.
[0029] FIG. 2 shows components of a travel distance indication
device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
However, details of the general processor 120 are omitted in order
to focus on the travel distance related item.
[0030] The travel distance indication device includes a controller
200. The controller 200 includes a storage 210, a controller 220,
and a display 230. The controller 200 is connected to a travel
distance measuring sensor 240.
[0031] The storage 210 includes a first memory 211 and a second
memory 212.
[0032] The first memory 211 stores the latest value of the travel
distance updated using data from the travel distance measuring
sensor 240. The first memory 211 is a nonvolatile memory. Even when
power is not supplied, stored data is not lost or changed in the
first memory 211. Further, the first memory 211 is specialized for
security. Thus, it is impossible to tamper the first memory 211
from the outside without accessing the trusted processor 211.
[0033] The second memory 212 is configured for supplementing the
first memory 211. The second memory 212 has the highest security
since when a bit of the memory becomes 1 in hardware manner, the
memory cannot change back the bit 1 to a bit 0. For example, an
example of the second memory 212 may include a device such as eFuse
or Replay Protected Memory Block (RPMB). The second memory is
generally used for important key and downgrade protection. The
second memory 212 may be subjected to read/write operations only
via accessing the trusted processor 221. Once the data has entered
the second memory, modification of the data therein is not possible
in any way. However, the device that cannot be reprogrammed in this
way is expensive compared to other type memories Thus, it is not
desirable to employ the second memory having a large capacity.
[0034] Therefore, the first memory 211 stores the cumulative travel
distance. The second memory 212 stores a cumulative travel distance
encoded value to verify the cumulative travel distance. The
cumulative travel distance encoded value refers to a sum of bits
set to 1 in the second memory 212. Each time the vehicle travel
distance exceeds a predetermined travel distance, the second memory
212 sets a bit not yet used to 1. For example, it may be assumed
that a bit of the second memory 212 is set to 1 every time the
vehicle travels by 1000 Km. In this case, when the cumulative
travel distance is 6300 km, the second memory 212 will have a total
of six bits set to 1. Therefore, the cumulative travel distance
encoded value is 6. In this situation, when the cumulative travel
distance is tampered down to 5300 km, the cumulative travel
distance is smaller than 6000 km equal to the multiplication of the
predetermined travel distance 1000 km by the encoded value 6. Thus,
the forgery or tampering can be checked immediately. Conversely,
the forgery or tampering can be verified by comparing a value
resulting from dividing the cumulative travel distance by the
predetermined travel distance with the cumulative travel distance
encoded value. In this example, the predetermined travel distance
is set to 1000 Km. However, the predetermined travel distance may
vary depending on the situation.
[0035] A processing unit 220 includes a trusted processor 221 and a
third memory 222.
[0036] The trusted processor 221 is a security-specific processor.
It may be difficult to access and manipulate the trusted processor
221 from the outside. For example, a processor with TrustZone
technology developed by the ARM corporation may be the trusted
processor 221.
[0037] The third memory 222 is a volatile memory. When the power is
turned off, the stored data therein disappears. The third memory
222 performs an operation of summing the measured value from the
travel distance measurement sensor 240 and the cumulative travel
distance stored in the first memory 211. The third memory 222 is
accessible only by the trusted processor 221. An access thereto
from the outside is impossible. For this purpose, the third memory
may be embedded in a chip or an encrypted memory may be used as the
third memory.
[0038] The travel distance measurement sensor 240 may be connected
to the wheel rotation shaft of the vehicle and may measure the
mileage by multiplying a tire size and the number of rotations with
each other. Alternatively, the sensor may measure the travel
distance using GPS. Alternatively, the travel distance may be
measured based on the speed of the vehicle. The measured values
from the travel distance measurement sensor 240 are transmitted
only to the trusted processor 221 and may be encrypted and
transmitted to enhance security.
[0039] The display 230 comprises a display control unit 231 and a
display unit 232.
[0040] The display control unit 231 can be controlled only by the
trusted processor 221. The display control unit 231 cannot be
accessed or manipulated from the outside. In particular, the
display control unit 231 is not accessible from a general processor
or other operating system located inside the vehicle.
[0041] The display unit 232 indicates the cumulative travel
distance (odometer) value and is disposed in a display panel device
of the vehicle. The display unit 232 may be a part of the entire
display region, or may be a screen mode activated using a specific
menu button. The screen mode is determined under the control of the
display control unit 231.
[0042] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of the travel distance
indication method according to one embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0043] First, the user of the vehicle drives the vehicle. When the
driving operation is completed, the method reads the cumulative
travel distance from the first memory 211 S310. The cumulative
travel distance read from the first memory 211 is verified using
the cumulative travel distance encoded value in the second memory
212 S320. If the verification fails, the display 230 indicates the
cumulative travel distance error S325. When the verification is
completed, the cumulative travel distance is stored in the third
memory 222. The vehicle starts S340. While driving the vehicle, the
travel distance measurement sensor 240 acquires a measured travel
distance value S350. The measured travel distance value is added to
the existing cumulative travel distance, such that an updated
cumulative travel distance is stored in the first memory 211 S360.
After storing the updated cumulative travel distance in the first
memory 211, it is checked whether it is necessary to update the
cumulative travel distance encoded value in the second memory 212
S370. For example, it may be assumed that the predetermined travel
distance is 1000 Km. When the value obtained by dividing the
cumulative travel distance by 1000 is greater than the existing
cumulative travel distance encoded value, a bit not yet used may be
set to 1 in the second memory 212. If it is determined that the
update is necessary, the cumulative travel distance encoded value
of the second memory 212 is updated. Among the above steps, the
steps S300 to S340 are performed at the initial start of the
vehicle. After the vehicle starts, the steps S350 to S380 are
repeatedly performed.
[0044] The method in accordance with the present disclosure as
described above may be implemented using a computer readable code
on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer readable
medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that
may be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of media that
can be read by a computer include HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid
State Disk), SDD (Silicon Disk Drive), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic
tape, floppy disk, or optical data storage device. The medium also
includes a carrier wave, for example, implemented in the form of
transmission over the Internet. Accordingly, the above description
should not be construed in a limiting sense in all respects and
should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present
disclosure shall be determined by rational interpretation of the
appended claims. All changes within the equivalent range of the
present disclosure are included in the scope of the present
disclosure.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0045] The present disclosure relates to devices and methods that
are installed inside a vehicle and may be used industrially.
* * * * *